South post commissary presents scholarships

Tuesday

Jul 3, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 3, 2012 at 4:53 PM

Staff Sgt. Thomas G. Collins 27th PAD

The Defense Commissary Agency, in cooperation with the Fisher House and sponsors, awarded $1,500 scholarships to nine students June 19, at the South Post Commissary as part of the Scholarships for Military Children Program.

Sixty-seven thousand applicants and over $10 million have been awarded in the last 12 years, according to the Fisher House website.

“I’m excited to receive this scholarship,” said Hinton, a University of North Carolina Charlotte campus student.

According to www.militaryscholar.org, the Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize the contributions by military Families to the fighting force and celebrate the role of the commissary in the military community. Active duty,

The scholarship is awarded based on factors of scholastic merit, volunteering within the community and an essay on a specific topic, said Bernard T. Cote, the president of Scholarship Managers.

“Most of the awardees have above a 3.5 grade point average, countless hours of documented volunteer work in their community, and (they’ve)set themselves apart by working part or full-time during the summer,” said Cote.

DECA store manager, John C. Moore, South Post Commissary store manager, presented the awards to the winning recipients of the $1,500 scholarships.

“I’m honored to present this highly competitive and selective scholarship to these students. This scholarship is available each year and you can apply for it even if you have won it before,” said Moore.

“I know how hard it is to pay for college, so this is just something we can do to show our support,” said Jewel L. Stinson, DECA secretary at the South Post Commissary.

Ford is a graduate of Jack Britt High School, in Fayetteville and is planning to attend the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.

“I want to become either a surgeon or some kind or a psychologist, so this scholarship will help,” said Ford.

“It will help out with books and tuition,” added Hinton, who is studying to become a cardiothoracic surgeon and continues to apply for scholarships to offset the costs associated with school.

A message posted on the program’s website reads, “The Defense Commissary Agency and Fisher House Foundation, Inc. wish to thank commissary business partners and other contributors for their generosity in funding the Scholarships for Military Children Program.”

Hinton’s advice for other scholarship hopefuls is — don’t put it off, get started early and don’t procrastinate.”

Ford agreed and added that it was important to apply even if you’re unsure of the outcome.

“Apply for scholarships even if you think you’re not going to get them,” said Ford.